The defamation proceedings against Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi have faced another postponement, this time due to an ongoing lawyers’ strike, affecting the regular court operations. The special MP-MLA court, presided over by Judge Shubham Verma, has rescheduled the hearing for January 30, aiming to complete the cross-examination of the involved parties.
The case originated from a complaint by Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader, who in 2018 accused Gandhi of making derogatory remarks about BJP leader Amit Shah during the Karnataka election campaign. Mishra claims these remarks were defamatory and damaged his reputation, prompting him to seek legal recourse.
The case has seen several delays over the years, with the most recent one in December 2024 due to the judge’s absence. As the legal tussle continued, Gandhi, who had previously failed to appear leading to a court-issued warrant in December 2023, surrendered to the court in February 2024. During his July appearance, where his statement was recorded, Gandhi was granted bail against two sureties of Rs 25,000 each, maintaining his innocence and alleging a political conspiracy against him.
The court had instructed the plaintiff to produce evidence to support his claims. However, the ongoing strike by lawyers, which has led to the rescheduling of numerous cases, including this high-profile defamation suit, underscores the challenges in the judicial handling of cases involving political figures.
